Standard practice to prevent water infiltration at an intersection of multiple surfaces on structures like houses and other buildings has been to create rigid, multi-piece flashings on the job by bending pieces of sheet metal during the construction or repair of such structures. The assembled flashings are then fitted against the intersecting building surfaces with at least part of at least one of the sheet metal pieces overlapping part of another. The joints between overlapping pieces are sealed by caulking material or the like. Construction of these multi-piece flashings is time-consuming, difficult to do, and expensive. In some instances, each piece of flashing is no more than 12 inches long, which entails handling a large number of flashing pieces and a creating a large number of caulk seals between them to complete an installation.
The use of multi-piece flashings presents serious problems. Over a period of time, caulking tends to break down and lose its adhesion to the surface with which it was intended to bond. This breakdown can occur at any time, and it is not uncommon for it to occur within four or five years from the date the caulking was applied. If that happens and a substantial amount of moisture works its way into the building as a result, the damage to the building can be substantial. The seriousness of this problem is magnified for multi-piece flashings due to the high number of caulk seals. There are a large number of potential failure points and a large number of seals to be replaced.
What is needed, therefore, is a flashing product that is easier and less cost intensive to manufacture, easier and less cost intensive to install, and that improves on the water protection properties of multi-piece flashing products. Further, what is needed is a flashing product that does not degrade significantly over time after installation. Even further, what is desired is a flashing product that makes the process of completing the construction of the structure easier. Additionally, what is needed is a flashing product that provides improved control of moisture that may intrude at the junction of a roof and wall and improved prevention of water damage to the underlying building structure.